


shiny things

by lancede



Series: heist AU [3]
Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: !!, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Thieves, Featuring, Gen, Jeonghan being a devious mastermind, Jun is a cat burglar!!, M/M, Minghao runs a jewelry shop in New York, Mingyu & his 2.3 billion won, Seokmin being a wonderful talented actor, Soonhoon being iconic, Xu Ming Hao | The8-centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-31
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:42:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27314971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lancede/pseuds/lancede
Summary: four times Minghao gets robbed and one time he doesn't(yet another prequel to "run home")
Relationships: Kim Mingyu & Xu Ming Hao | The8, Kwon Soonyoung | Hoshi/Lee Jihoon | Woozi, Wen Jun Hui | Jun & Xu Ming Hao | The8
Series: heist AU [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1979752
Kudos: 57





	shiny things

**Author's Note:**

> \- this is a totally self-indulgent fic, don't mind me  
> \- this fic happens after "long time no see" and before "run home" but these can be read in any order!  
> \- these are mostly just platonic shenanigans with implied soonhoon and i guess some gyuhao and junhao if you squint??  
> \- quite a few parts of this are inspired by home;run mv, give it a watch if you haven't seen it recently~  
> \- didn't edit this too much so apologies for any awkward bits!  
> \- ok enough notes now heist heist heist

~ 1 ~

It's a quiet morning like any other. A few tourists mill in and out of his jewelry shop, oohing and aahing at the twinkling gems in their display cases. One buys a ring, another buys a hairpin, and they leave.

His assistants have the day off, so today it’s just Minghao in the shop. He pours himself a cup of tea and adjusts the cuffs on his fashionable tweed suit.

Minghao's boutique is tucked away in a remote corner of New York City. It’s small, with barely enough room for the customers to squeeze between the rows of display cases. In the back, a staircase leads up to a loft — Minghao’s apartment.

He’s just taken his first sip of tea when the door swings open with a tinkling chime.

Minghao glances up, a generic welcome freezing on his lips as a stranger enters. His first thought is _tall_. And handsome, too, in a dark v-neck sweater and jeans. There’s something about the way he stands that sets him apart from the tourists and passerby that usually wander into the shop.

“Hello. I’m Kim Mingyu,” the stranger introduces himself.

He asks to be shown around, and Minghao does so. Mingyu hums in interest, peering closely at the different baubles, but eventually he leaves without buying anything.

Minghao shrugs it off, and returns to his perch in the corner of the shop, pouring himself a new cup of tea.

It's a few days later when he realizes that one of his items has vanished — a small ruby ring he'd picked up in Florence — and at first, he's more confused than anything. He hires a detective to take a look around the shop for any clues as to what might have happened, but the detective isn't much use, only fiddling with a strangely shiny mustache and declaring nothing to look out of the ordinary with a strong English accent.

Minghao sends the detective off with a curt word of thanks, but can't shake off a feeling that something’s up.

~ 2 ~

For some reason — he’s not sure why — he’s woken up. Minghao flicks on his bedside lamp and looks at the clock. It’s 3 A.M.

On impulse, he slips out of bed and pads down the staircase to the shop. He stops before rounding the corner — he can just barely catch the faint murmur of whispered voices.

_"No, get the big one! The big one!"_

_"The ‘big one’ is alarmed. Stick with the bracelet."_

_"But the topaz is so nice. Wow. Where does he find all these?"_

_"Soonyoung. Bracelet."_

_"Right, sorry. I got it."_

Minghao peers around the corner into the shop. The room is dark, but the far corner is lit with an eerie green light. There are two figures crouched underneath one of the display cases — the light is emanating from some sort of laser cutter attached to the case.

Minghao watches warily as the shorter figure effortlessly resets the case's security camera with a gloved hand. Minghao's debating whether to reveal himself and confront the thieves, but the taller figure hears something — some creak in the floorboards, maybe — and in the blink of an eye, both of them are up and gone, disappearing into the night as if they'd never been there.

~ 3 ~

The shop is quiet for at least another month or two, until spring comes around and with it, a request to style Lee Seokmin for the New York Film Critics’ annual awards ceremony.

It’s a welcome change of pace from his usual shop-running, and Minghao takes the request very seriously. He picks one of his favorite pieces of jewelry, a stunning pair of amethyst-and-diamond earrings, and pairs it with a silky cream-colored shirt and crisp white jacket.

It's a simple but regal look that he's sure Seokmin will pull off, and he's proven right as he later watches Seokmin wave charmingly to the cameras, practically glowing with radiance.

But something is missing, and Minghao pulls Seokmin aside as he exits the venue.

"Are the earrings okay? Did they not fit properly?" Minghao asks.

"What earrings?" Seokmin asks curiously.

~ 4 ~

The shrieking and squealing of the train's brakes shake Minghao from his thoughts. He straightens in his seat, instinctively reaching for his briefcase to check that it's still there, that he still has the necklace and that his excursion to Chicago hadn't gone to waste.

With one last screech and a thud, the train comes to a halt. Minghao pushes aside the booth's curtains to look outside. Nothing but dark and empty fields; the glowing lights of the city are still about a mile away.

There's one other person in Minghao's train booth, and he blinks and lowers his newspaper, humming confusedly and pushing his glasses higher up on his nose.

"Are we already there?" he asks. Minghao shakes his head.

"No... I'm not sure where we are."

Suddenly, there's a booming crash, and the floor of the train reverberates.

 _"This is an armed robbery!"_ a voice yells hoarsely outside _. "Stay where you are!"_

Minghao inhales sharply. There are more thuds and loud shouting outside their booth.

Minghao runs his fingers over his briefcase's handle, pondering. Staying in place is out of the question. His eyes flick to the window of the train booth.

"Do you think we could fit through the window?" the other occupant asks, and Minghao turns to consider him, meeting concerned dark eyes.

"I think so," Minghao replies, making his decision. The other person rises to help him pry the window open. They work quickly, and soon enough, their faces are hit by a gust of cold night air.

It's a bit of a drop to the ground, maybe ten feet or so, but Minghao figures he can hold onto the ledge of the window and drop from there. It shouldn't be too bad.

"You can go first," the other occupant offers, looking a little bit uncertain.

Minghao nods, handing his briefcase over and pulling himself through the small opening. He lands with a thump in the grass between the train tracks.

Dusting himself off, he outstretches his hands, motioning for his briefcase, but he's met with only twinkling eyes and a jaunty wave.

Minghao gapes openmouthed as the train heaves back into motion, leaving him stranded alone in the fields.

~ +1 ~

Minghao wakes up with his own rings missing from his fingers, and that's when he decides he's had enough.

He starts devising plans and hatching new schemes, new strategies, new traps. He redoes the shop’s security system and hires a different guard.

Weeks pass, but Minghao is patient. It's a sunny Friday afternoon when finally, finally, one of his traps is sprung.

"No, it was different last time," one of his customers mutters, pacing around a display case. Minghao’s eyes immediately jump to the two people in the center of the store, but he forces himself to remain still and give no other reaction. He retreats a few steps to watch them.

The other customer smiles deviously and shrugs.

"Hey, but it's pretty much the same, right? This one's also topaz. He probably won't notice."

"How could he not notice? It has to be the same one," the other one replies, and Minghao picks that moment to approach the pair.

"Do you need any help with anything?" Minghao inquires in his most bland voice.

"No, just looking," the shorter one replies, and Minghao's suspicions are confirmed.

He melts into the background, and as the two of them exit the shop, he motions for his guard to take over as he grabs his bag and slips out the door soundlessly in pursuit.

~

The two thieves move quickly through the streets of New York, but Minghao manages to keep them in sight, even catching snippets of their conversation. The short and grumpy one's name is Jihoon, it seems, and the tall catlike one's name is Junhui.

They move east, pausing at an Italian restaurant, and Jihoon enters. Junhui waves a hand in farewell, then continues down the street. After a moment of indecision, Minghao follows Junhui.

Junhui's pace quickens, and now, Minghao is nearly sprinting to keep up. Instead of moving east, Junhui doubles back and goes west, then north, then east, then west again, almost as if he knows he's being followed.

But Minghao is determined not to lose track of Junhui, and finally, Junhui comes to a stop in front of a building. It’s a tall but narrow brownstone mansion, surrounded by a dismal-looking lawn and a few sparse trees scattered here and there.

Minghao mentally pats himself on the back for making it this far, although his sense of victory is somewhat lessened by his realization that he's got absolutely no idea where he currently is. There goes that part of his plan.

Junhui glances backwards before opening the front door, and Minghao ducks behind a hedge as sharp eyes scan the lawn. Junhui stands outside for a moment longer, then turns and heads in.

Carefully, Minghao rolls to his feet. He approaches the mansion warily, sticking to the shadows beneath the trees. With quick, darting movements, he approaches one of the larger ground-level windows.

He opens his bag and pulls out a thin pick, inserting it into the window lock and furrowing his brows in concentration. It's been a long time since he's done this — he hasn’t stolen anything since Chicago — but he still has the hang of it, and the lock bursts open in less than a minute.

He heaves himself across the windowsill and lands neatly, finding himself in a small kitchen.

The kitchen is warm with sunlight and has a surprisingly cozy feeling, but Minghao shakes those thoughts out of his head, and instead, focuses and listens.

The mansion is silent and seemingly empty. But he knows he's not alone, and so he pads through the hallways carefully, his heart beating fast, being sure to look around corners before moving forward.

~

And just there — audaciously displayed in a glassy case, the necklace that’d been stolen from him on that train.

The corner of Minghao’s mouth twitches in annoyance. He sidles up to the display case with small, quiet steps, and slides open the back panel with practiced hands. He slips the necklace on, feeling the weight around his neck.

He knows his other pieces of jewelry must also be stashed around the mansion, but he won’t push his luck. He closes the case’s panel, and starts towards the door.

“Going somewhere?” a voice trills, and Minghao swears in surprise as a figure drops down from the ceiling. It’s Junhui.

“Clearly,” retorts Minghao, his heart still beating fast.

Junhui laughs, which Minghao finds annoying. He glares at him. “You stole from my shop — you should have been prepared for me to steal my things back.”

“Who says we weren’t prepared?” replies Junhui with a smirk, and Minghao becomes aware of a presence behind him.

“It’s nice to meet you, Minghao,” a voice says smoothly, and Minghao turns. “I’m Yoon Jeonghan.”

Minghao crosses his arms and glares, recognizing the train passenger who’d stolen his briefcase. “We’ve met. Get on with it.”

“Fair enough,” says Jeonghan with a shrug. “We’ve had our eye on you for a while, and, well. You’ve passed our tests. We’d like to officially invite you to join our group.”

“No, thank you,” Minghao responds dryly, and makes to move towards the door. Surprisingly, the two of them step aside.

“Just keep it in mind?” Junhui asks, his voice hopeful. He hands a box to Minghao, who accepts it warily.

“Here’s your stuff back,” Junhui says. “If you ever get bored of running your shop, just let us know.”

“Not a chance,” Minghao shoots back. “Good day.”

He stalks out the door, not stopping until he’s back in his shop. The blinds are drawn over the windows and the lights are dark. The security guard is nowhere in sight.

He doesn't open the box until he's climbed the stairs to his apartment and is sitting safely on his bed. Sure enough, inside the box he finds the missing ruby ring, the bracelet, Seokmin's earrings (had he been in on it too?), and all four of Minghao's own rings.

And something else, too — a small triangular piece of diamond he hasn’t seen before. Minghao closes it in his fingers, feeling the cold stone turn warm in his hand.

~

More time passes.

It's another quiet morning, quieter than usual. Minghao's buried his nose in a book, and he doesn't raise his head when the door chimes.

A shadow falls over his pages, and Minghao finally looks up.

"Mingyu, isn't it?" he asks, keeping his tone unreadable. Mingyu nods.

"I was supposed to give you this," he tells Minghao, passing him an envelope. It’s probably some sort of invitation from the weird thief group, and Minghao is about to push it away, but Mingyu looks at him with wide expectant eyes, and Minghao reluctantly peels the envelope open.

He blinks in surprise as blueprints and article clippings tumble out.

"Jeonghan wanted a second opinion," Mingyu explains.

Minghao purses his lips in a frown, his eyes scanning through the scribbles rapidly. They're clearly plans for a heist. "Aren't you supposed to ask me if I actually want to help first? What's stopping me from sabotaging your entire plan now?"

There's no response. Minghao glances up.

"We trust you?" Mingyu offers tentatively. Minghao huffs — more likely, Mingyu forgot to ask before giving him the envelope.

Still… it’s a good plan. And the shop has been quiet, recently. And he’s running low on stock.

"The bank has mirrors," Minghao tells him, handing back the papers, which Mingyu gathers hastily. "The side entrances are visible from the security booth, so Plans B and C are out."

Mingyu nods enthusiastically and scribbles something down. "Anything else?"

"Theoretically," Minghao muses. "Just theoretically, if I came along, what percentage would I get?"

**Author's Note:**

> not super satisfied with that ending but welp there we go? :) hope you enjoyed reading!!


End file.
